Jacob eing



(No Model.)

J. RING. Portable Floorf Patented April 5,1881.

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utka I N. FEKERS. PNOTO LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQEO JACOB RING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE FLOOR."

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,846, dated April 5, 1881. Application filed January 11, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB RING, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Floors, Walls, and Oeilin gs, which improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable floorings, wainscots, walls, and ceilin gs, and to an improved method of laying and erecting'the same; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a portable floor, Wall, or ceiling which may be removed ,at pleasure without injury to the under surface against which the said floor, wall, or ceiling is secured. I attain these objects by means of the combinations of the floor pieces and rails constituting the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of a do nble-flan ged T-rail of any suitable material-preferably brass, iron, or galvanized iron-pf any length best suited to the length of the room in which such floor, Wainscot, wall, or ceiling is to be constructed. Figs. 2 and 3 represent, respectively, acrossseetion of said strip, rail, or grooved batten, and a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of two pieces or sections of the floor, Wainscot, wall, or ceiling, showing the manner of joining the same together by meansof the grooved rail or batten. Fig. 5 represents, in plan, a section of the floor, wainscot, wall, or ceiling as laid down, showing in dotted lines the direction of the strips, rails, or grooved battens, and the border-strips held by the grooved strips. The lateral ends of the pieces are directly united to each other, in the usual manner, by a tongue and groove. Fig. 6 represents a grooved strip to 'be let into the under side of the border-pieces,tbrmin g adovetailed joint therewith. Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of said strip, and Fig. 8 represents the manner in which it is let into the under sides or bottoms of said border or \vainscot pieces.

The tessellated sections may be of any convenient size and shape, preferably squares or parallelograms, and may be constructed of iron or any suitable material, but preferably of wood, variegated in difierent colors or ornamented to suit any particular taste.

The grooved rails or battens may be affixed to-the floor, wainscot, wall, or ceiling in any suitable manner, preferably by screws, which should be inserted through but one side of the lower flange of the rail, the said rails thus being capable of removal laterally a-t'terone line of the slabs has been withdrawn, and which also enables the adjacent line of slabs to be laterally withdrawn, so that the whole structure can be removed without destroying or defacing the permanent-floor, wall, or ceiling. The work, except the laying the strips and adjusting the pieces or sections, may all be done at the shop. An unsightly room can thus be converted into a handsome apartment.

The dovetailed strips shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are preferably used for border-pieces, the T-rail battens being used for the main sections of the flooring, Wainscot, wall, or ceiling. These battens, like the T-rails, may be made of any suitable metal, and are, like them, affixed to the supports of the Wainscot or border pieces in any suitable manner, preferably by screws, and are secured independently of the lines of T-rails. By this means all the pieces, as well as the borders, may be made of any necessary width and may be removed, together with their battens or rails, without dcfacin g any permanent floor, wall, or ceiling previously laid or used. It thus appears that when the floor, wall, or ceiling is thus laid, all the battens are concealed from view, all the floor or other pieces presenting an unbroken surface to the view, and forming a strong and durable floor, wall, or ceiling, and at the same time easily and speedily removed when occasion requires, leaving intact the old floor or walls.

In completing the floor, a tongue of a single piece or section about a foot in length is omitted, and this section is secured by two screws and forms a key for the removal of the entire floor or ceiling.

I am aware that it is not new to secure tessellated flooring by means of single flanged T-strips of wood, and also by means of double dovetail strips laid in some plastic material; but the metal grooved or dovetailed raiLused by me, and my double-flanged T-rail with broad base, both furnish means for quickly and much more securely fastening, as well as much more quickly and readily removing, the portable floor devised by me, and the combination of the said main and border pieces constitutes a practical and serviceable portable floor or wall, the want of which has long been felt in my experience, and never, to my knowledge, heretofore successfully put in use.

It is obvious that the dovetailed strips for the border-pieces, being set at right angles to their nextadjacent T-rails, cannot be dispensed with, and form with the T-rails necessary elements for uniting the main and border pieces.

Having thus fully described my said improvement, as of my invention I claim- 1. A portable floor, Wall, or ceiling composed of a series of pieces of wood or other suitable material, preferably. in squares or parallelograms, united to each other and to their under surface or supports by means of a rail whose cross-section when laid is that of an inverted Tthat is, an upper and lower flange united by a vertical webthe whole arranged substantially as described, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the main pieces of a portable floor or wall, shaped and fastened as described, portable border-pieces united thereto as described, and secured to the permanent walls or floors by grooved metal strips of a dovetail cross-section, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JACOB RING.

Witnesses:

J. H. SMITHERS, O. G. BITTER. 

